Obituary: Former Emley and Bradley Rangers footballer John Wilkinson

JOHN WILKINSON, who has died after a long illness aged 58, was a talented semi-professional footballer who made a new life in New Zealand thanks to his goalscoring exploits at Emley and Bradley Rangers.

JOHN WILKINSON, who has died after a long illness aged 58, was a talented semi-professional footballer who made a new life in New Zealand thanks to his goalscoring exploits at Emley and Bradley Rangers.

Huddersfield-born and a keen Town fan, he was working as an electrician and having trials with Bradford City when Kiwi club North End United, based in Dunedin in the Otago region of the South Island, made him an offer he couldn’t refuse in March 1981.

He jetted out with wife Linda, their two sons Craig and Arran and the best wishes of the Huddersfield local football fraternity, and never looked back.

Wilkinson shone for Ossett Albion, Liversedge and Guiseley before joining hometown club Emley in 1978.

The village side were making their mark in the old Yorkshire League, and in his first season, when Emley finished runners-up to Winterton Rangers and won the League Cup, he rattled 30 goals in as many games before breaking an arm and two ribs.

There were suggestions the injuries had been inflicted deliberately and Wilkinson later recalled: “Opponents were quite ruthless, you know. Sometimes I was even kicked as we walked out onto the pitch.”

He was back for the following season, and this time fared even better, leading the Yorkshire League goal chart with 42 as Emley carried off the championship and Sheffield Senior Cup as well as finishing runners-up in the League Cup.

He also helped them take renowned non-league side Blyth Spartans to a replay in the FA Trophy, a first-round tie he later described as his “most memorable”, adding: “We drew the first game up there (1-1) but should have beaten them.”

Emley were keen to keep him, but in 1980 he decided to take an offer from newly-formed Bradley Rangers, who were playing in the Yorkshire League Third Division.

Once again he topped the scoring list before making his mark halfway around the world.

Commenting on the Otago United website, Rab Smith wrote: “John has been ever-present in local football, playing, coaching and generally enjoying the game and watching his lads play. He will be missed.”

Gerry Quinn, one of his Emley teammates and later a highly successful manager of the club, said: “John was a very good semi-professional player and will be known by many people in Huddersfield.

“I first got to know John when he was playing for Emley. He was a natural goalscorer and regularly topped the scoring list at whatever club he was playing for.”